My back

We had a freak snowstorm a couple of weeks ago.  I had to go out and shovel the heaviest snow/slush I can remember ever having to shovel.  I remember I hurt my back while doing it.  Well, I am at that age where things take longer to heal.  I think I slept wrong last night because I woke to it really hurting.  Didn't help that later in the day I was leaving my house and started to fall down the porch stairs.  Luckily I caught myself or it would have been a lot worse I'm sure.  However I tweaked my back again.  So now I am sitting here waiting patiently for my pumpkin seed to come out of the oven so I can take some pain medication and go to sleep.
I'm not writing this to complain, because I am actually grateful my back hurts.  Grateful you ask?  Why would I be grateful?  Well, because my back was bothering me I was able to take the day off from work.  I don't do it often, in fact only when I feel like I'm at deaths door will I actually call out of work.  ( I have worked through colds, migraines, regular headaches, aches and pains, etc.) Then I did the almost falling thing.  This I think was Karma because now I really wouldn't be able to work.  And part of me was feeling guilty for not working my shift.  So, long story short.........I am moving slower than usual, but I got to surprise my beautiful son by picking him up from school, and spend a glorious afternoon/evening with him I wouldn't have been able to share if it wasn't for my back.  So today I am grateful for my back pain.  Because of it I was able to create memories I wouldn't otherwise have been able to create, and it is a reminder to slow down every once in a while and take care of myself.  I don't often listen to the whisperings that tell me to take care, so I sometimes need to be "hit upside the head" to get the message.
Message received loud and clear.  (Until I forget about it again)